Detection of hydroxyl-bearing exposures of possible magmatic origin on the central peak of crater Theophilus using Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data

Abstract

High-resolution spectral and spatial data analyses of crater Theophilus revealed the presence of hydroxyl-bearing exposures of possible magmatic origin on its central peak in association with olivine-, spinel- and crystalline plagioclase-bearing lithologies. Hydroxyl-bearing lithologies at Theophilus central peak are characterized primarily by a prominent absorption feature near 2800nm, the strength of which varies from ∼2% to 6% in some localized zones within the central peak. The strong and sharp 2800-nm hydroxyl feature having localized occurrences on the central peak of crater Theophilus is inconsistent with a surficial origin. We suggest that the observed hydration at Theophilus central peak could possibly be associated with a sub-crustal magmatic source that was subsequently tapped and exposed by Theophilus impact event.